I'm Already Dead
by girlwiththeknifes
Summary: They say you never forget the face of the person who is your last hope! well he was mine. This is the story of the district 2 tributes, the real star cross lovers of the 74th Hunger Games. What made them volunteer and why did they play the games the way they did ? From their first meeting, to their last moments. Book ending plus alternate ending. CLATO FOREVER! Please review!
1. The Beginning

**I'm Already Dead**

Chapter 1

CLOVE'S POV- REAPING

He says the words I never wanted to hear, especially not now, maybe another year. I don't know how I'm still managing to keep my appearance calm, emotionless, like the career I am. I want to scream, I'm so angry! Not just at him, mainly at the capital with their fancy clothes and screechy voices. It makes me want to puke. Five minutes of standing up here and I already hate our escort Oceania. But most of all I hate myself for being this stupid, for allowing this to happen, because I know it will be the end of me, the end of us.

"_They say you never forget the face of the person who is your last hope"_

**FLASHBACK**

CLOVE'S POV- AGED 9

_Beep, beep, beep..._

Its 5am on a Monday morning when my alarm goes off; for once I bounced out of bed quickly, heading straight for the warmth of the shower. I've waited 9 years for this day; I'm finally starting my proper training at District Two's Training Centre. I was meant to attend last year, when all the kids my age did, but as my parents aren't around anymore and even when they are I'm not of great interest, they didn't releases I was 8 so, I didn't get permission. After sending seven messages which they didn't reply to I just accepted that I would never go but only after a couple of attempts to break in which were unsuccessful. Instead my brother Ben, the victor of the 55th Hunger Games just continued to train me at home, like he had for the last couple of years. But when my father arrived home for a surprise visit on Friday, not to my joy, I managed to plead with him in his drunken state before he passed out and surprisingly he accepted.

My father's drunk most of the time he spends here; I've got the proof all over my back in whip marks from his drunken angry outbursts which me and my two siblings have to live with. He was a peacekeeper here until I was 6, so there was no escape. It was like hell on earth growing up, I dreaded his arrival home each night as he would almost surely be drunk already and would come in raging about little things in his day that made him pissed. Being the most liked member of the family, he would often unleash his angry on me bashing, hitting and whipping me as much as he could. Sometimes it went on for a minute or two sometimes for hours. I would sit bashes and blue in the corner crying as he yelled at me for being weak, so small. When I was 5 he beat me to an inch of my life, my brother bravely intervened and then took me to the hospital after my father had passed out. Crying in the hospital that day, I vowed to never again be so weak that I was be unable to defend myself, to cry and that I would never be that scared again.

The next day I went out to train on my own, I experimented with the weapons before me, until I found the perfect one. Knives! I used them so naturally that you would have thought I'd been born with one. Training with knives helped me, it gave me a feeling of power and more importantly it made me strong. With the help of my brother and my talent with knives I discovered them like they'd never been before. I spend the next couple of years perfecting them, learning everything about them from their movement to where they were the most affective. I was floorless, they were like a part of me and I never parted from them. Apart from knives my brother said I had to be able to use other weapons, so I trained in bows, spears and hand to hand combat. For someone with such a small structure as me I was surprisingly good. I could duck and move fast around my opponents.

If my father did anything for me, he taught me never to show my emotions it resulted in a bashing so I learnt to put on a brave face and not to show anything. Its better when people can't read you, it means you hurt no one but yourself. Dad no longer scared me, once I found my knives and it didn't matter how many times he beat me it didn't hurt any more, I no longer felt anything my heart was a cold as ice.

So after all my experience at home I'm not worried about being a year behind everyone, so what if there taller being training at the centre longer. I've had a victor as a personal trainer since I could walk and being in so many fights I could face anyone. I know coming from a whole family of victors I've got natural talent, I'll knock them off their feet. Especially with my knives, they're my little secret

I get out of the shower, reaching for my new training gear, attempting to dry myself at the same time. Once I'm dressed I quickly tie up my wet, tangled brown hair in a pony before heading down the stairs.

"Wow, Clove! That actually looks really good on you, it suits your eyes" exclaims Ben with his usually cheek as he handed me my toast. Ben, my eldest brother is really the closest thing I've had to a father. He has raised, feed and cared for me since I was little without any help. My parents being peace keepers are never here, maybe only once a year so it was nice to have him round. Though, he can be annoying sometimes.

I just ignore him. "You excited" he continues "yeah, about whipping everybody's butts", I mumble confidently between mouthfuls of toast." And it will be all done to your amazing trainer, me", he says. I raise my eyebrows and cross my arms across my small chest. And your natural talent, obviously" he adds quickly. I give him a smile, "you did train me well", and head back up the stairs to my room. Once my teeth are clean and my bag packed I look at the clock. _Shit_, its 5:20am, I've only got 10 minutes. I race out the door, when Ben shouts from the kitchen "you forgot your lunch"! "Uhhhh" I moan running back, "thanks Ben".

I'm lucky the training centre is only a short walk from the victor's village otherwise I would probably be late. I turn the corner and follow the signs through to an open area. I arrive at the gate at 5:27; I've still got 3 minutes good. I turn my head to walk in the direction of coming students. When I look up I freeze, my mouth hanging open. WOW! It's the most amazing place I've ever seen and the biggest. Looking round there are so many students here but only one out of the hundreds will have the honour of representing district two. _Yeah and I'll be one of them_. I wonder what it's like in side. I stop staring and walk in wearing the most confident and deadly face I can muster _I don't want to appear weak_. I venture through the door and to the front desk.

"Hello, can I help you?" she asks staring at me with her grey beaded eyes, _weird_

"Clove Holloway"

"Oh, yes the new girl, I'll just be a minute" and with that she disappears into the office.

After a couple of minutes she returns with another office lady.

"Clove, this is Veronica, she will show you to your class".

"This way Clove", she says hustling me into a classroom were a man is instructing a class who look like they have just begun. She whispers in my ear, before showing me were to put my stuff, gives me a locker key and tells me to stay here before going to talk to the instructor. He looks over at me and I smirk in recognition. _You're tough clove_

"Clove, come here", he commands

I walk over at my own pace. "Hi, is all I say crossing my arms across my chest. "Hi, I'm Luke and I'll be your instructor, you seem confident" he says

"Why shouldn't I be", I snap rudely

He just shrugs before turning to address the group of students in front of him. "Attention! We have a new student class, this is Clove Holloway, I hope you give her a warm welcome and assist her if she needs it, I don't want any trouble". He waits for a second before turning his attention to me but I'm not paying attention. I'm looking round the group getting a good look at my competition. There are far more girls than boys in this training group, I wonder if the more talented boys have been moved up, whatever way it's good for me.

"Clove, have you trained before", Luke asks. I turn my attention back to him before answering.

"Yes sir, since I was five"

Sniggering erupts in the room, one girl gives me a smug look, before leaning over to whisper to her friend and they begin to laugh. "Well then Clove, show us what you've got" Luke says almost sarcastically. I growl at him, _I'll show him, all of them_, before walking straight over to the knives, _were else_ and surf through the different knives before selecting ten and walking to the throwing area. The trainer seems concerned, not sure that I can make 50m with moving targets but he doesn't argue heading over to the controls. I nod and he turns them on. I wait for the targets to light up. I can feel ever eye on me now,_ I'm going to show them not to mess with Clove Holloway, I may be small but I'm deadly._ The targets light up and I release my knives sending them flying at the targets. I don't miss a single one. I can hear gasps of shock throughout the room, as my second throw of knives land with a thump in the targets. Peeping up I see that girl again with a look of disbelief on her face _yeh, you though wrong about me_ and just because I can I pick up a carving knife fling it at the only remaining dummy, smiting its head off in one single blow, _ohhhh_. Smirking, I look around, all sounds have stopped, everyone is just looking at me with their mouths handing open. _Just the way I like it. And for no reason _my attention turns again to that girl. She seems to have gotten over her shock and is red in the face from angry_. I'm guessing she was the top girl well she'll have to make way for me. _

I just stand there for a minute, before Luke speaks, "excuse me for a minute class" and with that he runs from the room. I feel so good standing before the rest of my class with their shocked faces, there as scared as hell and I haven't even started showing what I can do. Even better is getting to see that girl angry face, I'm almost laughing, she looks like she's going wet her pants. So I just stand there until a voice interrupts me. "Clove" a voice calls, its Luke he entered the room and is now heading straight to me. "When this class is over you will move up to level 7 but you have to stay until the end. I nod, "that's fine with me" I reply smirking proudly. I'm a little disappointed about having to wait but all I can think about is how my luck has changes, how I'm one step closer to actually making my dad proud.

"Ok everyone back to your stations", Luke yells. I head over to my knives were I know no one will go, giving death stares to anyone who dares look my way. There all so scared and I know it, it gives me power like I never have at home.

Just when I'm about to start throwing, a medium height girl with flowing gold hair appears beside me. _Is she stupid or hoping to die?_

_**Author's Note**  
_

_**Hey, this is my first fanfiction, hope its ok. Any constructive critism or suggestions are welcome, please review!  
**_


	2. Not to Bad Holloway

Clove POV-

A girl appears beside me.

"That was amazing, were did you learn?" she asks, attempting to throw a knife.

Though I'm not eager to make friends this girl seems all right and she isn't too bad a throw, so I answer.

"My brother taught me", I reply.

"What about your parents", she asks

"There peacekeepers so there not around", I say

"Ohhhh", she murmurs. "Sorry I didn't mean to", she adds

"It's cool, what's your name by the way?" I question her.

"Hannah and that girl who is pissed at you is Maddie, she is the popular bitch of the academy" she says.

"I guessed that", I say.

By the end of the training session I know all about her family and how she has an aunt and two cousins called Glimmer and Gloss in District 1 and how her mum and dad work here at the academy. I also find out that her main weapon is a bow and arrow, but she's ok at hand to hand combat. She doesn't seem bad and I begin to feel comfortable talking to her. When the bell rings for the lunch break and for the end of training Hannah offers to show me to lunch and level seven. Level seven is one of the top floors and in the back block of the academy; closer to my home then the front of the training. While on our way she tells me there is boarding school here where she lives, I might apply and come and live with Hannah. Finally we reach my level.

'Clove", I say to the lady at the front desk.

She just points to a door.

"Go", Hannah says. "I'll see you tomorrow".

I walk in to the centre, it's even more magnificent then the one I was in earlier.

"Clove Holloway", a voice calls.

"Yep", I reply turning to find a muscular man heading towards me.

"I'm your trainer Ascham, shall we begin"

_Lets the games begin!_

Cato POV-

"20 down, 10 to go Holloway and I'm done with you for the day", she the head trainer Ascham as he jogs away into the other centre. Holloway, I heard that name before my friends had been talking about her, wiped some serious butt earlier today and against Maddie my girlfriend. I enter the training room leaning up against the wall to get a good look at this girl Holloway. She's very tiny with long straight brown hair, I would say she was eight but I can't see her face to tell. She picks up five of the remaining knives; they must be her primary weapon, before quickly releasing them toward the targets. A continues line of thumps means they've met there mark and to my great surprises they all dead centre right in the middle of the dummies hearts and heads. _Wow this girl is good_

Another closer thump interrupts my thoughts and before I can have time to turn my head to see if it hit its mark, she has pinned me against the wall. I can feel her nails digging into my skin it doesn't hurt but it's not exactly what I'd call comfortable. I just cross my arms against my chest and smirk down at her and for the first time I see her face. Wow, this girl is beautiful but different. She got that look about her that tells you she is more than a pretty face, unlike most girls around here who are pretty and stupid. I just stand there staring down at her with my mouth open, I must look like a staring idiot to her, but she is so amazing unlike any other and I have met a lot of girls.

"What do you want?"she asks.

"Same thing as you, to train I say", closing my open mouth to a smirk. Ascham chooses this moment to walk back into the room.

"Uhumm, what's going on here", he groans.

"Nothing", she grumbles releasing me from her grasp and walking back to her station. I turn to look at Ascham.

"Hi Cato, how was training", he asks

"Good, I just came to get more practice before I start here again tomorrow", I reply

'Great", he says putting his hands in his pockets.

I'd had being receiving special training for a week with only the top tributes from the District by Brutus a previous victor of the games. I'd enjoyed ripping up the dummies with my sword; I learnt fifty new ways of killing and was placed second out of all the 10-16 year olds. _That probably won't make my parents happy though._

"Well I see you have met your new and only training partner. Cato, this Clove. Clove, this is Cato stone, the only other level 7 trainees", Ascham says awkwardly.

"Hi", she snarls. I just give her a nod in reply. Grabbing my bag and slinging it over my shoulder I walk away over to the sword station, leaving her to continue with her knives. Thumping my bag on the station floor I go and select the most deadly looking sword and begin chop, swing and slashing away at the dummies utterly destroying them. _That always makes a good first impression; I need that after being pinned to a wall by her. _I notice her looking up at her knives smirking but then she goes back to throwing her knives. I'm curious about this girl Clove, I've never seen her round and she is one of the only people I have ever know who doesn't drool all over me like the other girls. She's hard to read not showing any emotions (though I know she's hiding something behind that mask) and extremely talented with those knives. For the first time in my life I'm fascinated by a girl, I just want to find out more. I feel like I have a connection, were both the same, hiding our feeling behind our masks. But I must get on with my training, girls drooling over me, not me them. Though I admit she's a worthy opponent.

After an hour I decide to stop and head over to my bag to get a drink. I get curious so I look over to the knife station to see if this clove is still here. I can't see her at first but then she suddenly appears through the same door Ascham disappeared out. She walks like me to her bag to grab a drink, sitting down on the bench which happens to be only a couple of metre away from me.

"So Holloway, are you knew here, I haven't seen you round before", I ask turning to face her.

Yes I knew, but I've been training with my brother since I was 7", she answers.

I've been training since her since I was 7 but they put me up a couple of years ago to level seven. I was the only trainee but now you're her I'm not lonered anymore.

Well, I suppose if we're going to be training partners I may as well know something more about you. So come on Holloway, tell me something about yourself? I ask. She's really smirking now, enjoying being able to tease me.

What do you want to know Cato stone? she questions looking up to me.

"Uhmm" I say crossing my arms across my chest.

"What are you good at? Because, I'm good at swords, spears and hand to hand combat", I state.

"Knives mainly, but I'm pretty good at spears, bows and hand to hand combat", she replies. I begin to chuckle.

"What's so funny?"She snaps at me, turning her head around, her face reddening.

"It's just that... you're so tiny, how are you going to beat someone in hand to hand combat. You couldn't even beat me", I say amongst my chuckles.

"Is that I challenge", she snarls standing up with her hands on her hips now.

"Yes, it is Holloway", I snarl, standing up. I leave my arms crossed as I look down at Clove.

"Don't call me Holloway", she snaps.

"Your name's Clove, well I'm sorry", I reply in the sweetest voices I can.

"Clove", she yells at me her face a bright red now. I know I'm getting under her skin.

"I know it's Clover', I say sarcastically.

"That is it your on Cato Stone', she shouts angrily as she storms off to the combat mat.

"Fine", I humph, before racing over to join her at the mat.

The timer begins!

1...

2...

3...

Go...

She runs at me aiming for my waist but I'm ready for her. I flip her over on to the mat, pinning her down but not for long s she manages to pull free and before I can move she pushed me onto my side and pinned me down. She tries to hold me down she is pretty strong but I'm stronger. I flip her and pin her again. She really annoyed now, causing me to smirk at her frustration.

"You're a real arrogant brat you know that stone" she snaps almost playfully. I go to reply but her statement has distracted me enough for her to slip way again, causing me to go crashing face first into the mat.

"I may be small but I'm fast and slippery", I her from behind me.

"I worked that out", I say sarcastically.

"So you admit I'm not that bad and you can't beat me", she says, overjoyed by her victory.

Knowing I'm defeated, I turn to face her still on my back and reply.

"You're not that bad Holloway"

She seems satisfied and in a surprisingly nice gesture she places her hand out to me.

I grab it but lightly flip her against the wall. "But I'm just a bit better", I say smirking down at her before releasing her.

"You're a brat Cato, but you're not that bad, training partners", she says not even trying to attack me.

"I'll think about it Clover", I say grabbing my stuff and jogging out of the place. I turn to see her face screwed up in confusion. _God, I hope she doesn't hate me; I'm only trying the think out more before I make her a friend or even a training partner. But I will, I'm after you Clove Holloway._


End file.
